Atlas Shrugged

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David Kelley


David Kelley earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University in 1975, and later taught cognitive science and philosophy at Vassar College and Brandeis University. His articles on social issues and public policy have appeared in Harpers, The Sciences, Reason, Harvard Business Review, The Freeman, and elsewhere. His books include  Unrugged Individualism: The Selfish Basis of Benevolence; The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand; The Evidence of the Senses; and The Art of Reasoning, one of the most widely used logic textbooks in the country. Kelley is founder and executive director of The Atlas Society. 

TNI articles by David Kelley
        Atlas Society articles by David Kelley

Either-Or

Either-Or

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Myth: Ayn Rand Was an Elitist

Myth: Ayn Rand Was an Elitist

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December 19, 2011 -- The heroes of Ayn Rand’s fiction are great achievers, like Howard Roark, the superlative architect in The Fountainhead, and John Galt, the brilliant physicist-philosopher in Atlas Shrugged. Moreover, Galt is a revolutionary advocate for achievers: he leads a strike of the most productive people by convincing them to shrug off the burdens society has placed on them.

Reviewing the Reviews

Reviewing the Reviews

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Editor's Note: This review was first published in the Summer 2011 Atlas Society Newsletter, and has been updated.

Rearden and his dependents

Rearden and his dependents

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Hank Rearden indulges his ungrateful brother with a contribution and gets a political warning from a friend. These scenes illustrate the meaning of money.

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Dagny confronts JamesRearden Metal is not for sale

Dagny Confronts James

Dagny Confronts James

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In this scene early in the film, Dagny Taggart confronts her brother James about the need to upgrade a rail line. The scene iillustrates the difference between objectivity and second-hand thinking.

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Review of Atlas Shrugged Part 1

Review of Atlas Shrugged Part 1

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Filming of Atlas Shrugged Movie Wraps

Filming of Atlas Shrugged Movie Wraps

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July 25, 2010 -- I spoke with Dagny Taggart the other night. “It’s a huge honor to be part of this film,” said Taylor Schilling, who plays the heroine in John Aglialoro’s independent production of Atlas Shrugged. Tuesday evening, July 20, marked the completion of filming. We caught up with Aglialoro and his team in a weary but ebullient mood as shooting wrapped after an intense five-week schedule.

Trade vs. Power

Trade vs. Power

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Trade and power are the two fundamental alternatives in human relationships. This audio program explores that alternative as the specifically social-economic dimension of the contrast between producers and looters. This theme is reflected in Atlas Shrugged in the collapse of the economy as power gains the upper hand; and in the producers' and looters' respective goals and attitudes towards others.

This audio program, suitable for those new to Rand's ideas, covers:

The Pursuit of Happiness

The Pursuit of Happiness

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This audio program addresses Rand's conception of happiness as an end in itself, including differences in her formulations of that end; and the moral right of the individual to live for himself, against the altruistic creed of self-denial and self-sacrifice.

Covers the following: